Senior Journalist Claims Arun Goel Resigned As Election Commissioner After Differences With CEC On Bengal Election Dates

Senior journalist and columnist Swati Chaturvedi claimed on an X post that Election Commissioner Arun Goel’s resignation from the post after he had differences with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on election preparations for West Bengal, a critical state for centre-ruling BJP and Opposition.

After quoting sources, Ms Chaturvedi, who had worked with The Statesman, Indian Express and Hindustan Times, said that Arun Goel differed with CEC Rajiv Kumar regarding poll preparations and dates for West Bengal.

“He apparently did not agree with CEC, who is going by what Delhi wants about scheduling of polls and deployment of forces in West Bengal,” she wrote.

Meanwhile, another journalist Arvind Gunasekar said the events transpired between March 5 and March 8 must be the reason behind Mr Goel’s decision.

“Arun Goel, Election Commissioner who abruptly cut short his Kolkata visit on March 5 citing “health issues” attended the meeting with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on March 8 along with CEC Rajiv Kumar over deployment of CAPF for upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Answer for Arun Goel’s resignation rests on two dates, March 5 and March 8,” Mr Gunasekar wrote on X.

In a surprising turn of events just weeks before the Lok Sabha polls 2024, Election Commissioner Arun Goel has tendered his resignation, which has been accepted by the President of India. This development leaves the Election Commission of India with only Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, as Mr. Goel’s departure exacerbates an existing vacancy. One seat was already vacant in the coveted office of three Election Commissioners in the country.

”In pursuance of clause (1) of Section 11 of The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, the President is pleased to accept the resignation tendered by Shri Arun Goel, Election Commissioner with effect from the 09th March, 2024,” a notification from law ministry said.

Speculation had been rife regarding the announcement of Lok Sabha election dates next week. However, Mr. Goel’s resignation casts uncertainty on that timeline, raising questions about the Commission’s operational capacity amidst the crucial electoral process.

Mr. Goel, a seasoned 1985-batch IAS officer, had opted for voluntary retirement on November 18, 2022, and subsequently assumed the role of Election Commissioner a day later. However, his appointment had faced legal challenges, with the Supreme Court questioning the expediency of the process.

The Court had raised concerns over the rapidity of Mr. Goel’s appointment, querying the government’s urgency in the matter. Despite initial scrutiny, the petition challenging his appointment was eventually dismissed by a two-judge bench last year, citing a previous examination by a Constitution Bench.